Sophomore Heather Ferraiz said she heard a loud boom. "We were all scared," said Ferraiz.
Police said the pipe bomb sent debris flying 30 feet away. Michael Hernandez's son was nearby when the bomb was set off. Fortunately, he and everyone else escaped unharmed. "Our son felt like something hit him, like needles on his arm, on his neck," said Hernandez.
Hanford Police Lieutenant Parker Sever said the device appeared to be homemade, but dangerous nevertheless. "If somebody was near when it went off, they would have been seriously injured," said Sever.
Parents learned of the incident through a series of phone messages. The final one was delivered hours after students were finally released from their classrooms. In the message, the superintendent reassured parents the district and police responded to the incident quickly and said the school would continue to be vigilant about school safety.
Police are reviewing video footage of the explosion caught by a surveillance camera outside of the auto body shop. They're being assisted by the ATF and FBI.
The suspect could face felony charges.